Love or Money
by Alessa00
Summary: Katniss is a poor girl from the seam that will leave people behind, brake hearts and do whatever it takes to get out of the seam and be rich. But will love change her mind, or will she use the man she loves to get to her goal? Everlark. Follows also the story of Madge, Gale, and some other people. Based on Spanish telenovela "Teresa."


Her heels click clocked against the hard floor, as she walked seductively, calmly, her long brown hair hanging loosely. The music was playing loudly, the lights were getting brighter as she got closer to the fancy party. The girls were wearing beautiful dresses, the boys were wearing fancy tuxedos, all of the girls had fixed their hair, and they were wearing expensive jewelry. There were waiters passing around with treys, there were balloons and ice sculptures.

There were tables were people were sitting at, calmly eating their food and chatting with their friends and family.

There was one table were Clove was sitting with her parents.

"Waiter, we need a bottle of champagne." Clove's dad James stood up, and called for the first waiter he saw.

"We need to celebrate you, my darling, because you are taking a big step in your life Clove." James said, while he sat back down.

"He is right Clove. You don't know how proud we are about you entering the university." Clove's mother Adela said with a proud smile.

"To study laws the right way." James continued, while squeezing Clove's hand gently.

This caused Clove to smile.

"Of course dad." she said, while squeezing his dad's hand back.

Clove quickly scanned the room, and when her eyes landed on the door, she saw Marvel walking inside with his mother Elsie.

"Marvel is here." Glimmer mumbled to her parents before she quickly got up from her chair and started yelling his name.

"Marvel, Marvel, hi!" she said while waving her hands furiously.

Smiling Marvel walked up to Clove, greeting her and her parents. James was already up, greeting Elsie.

"Well look at you, you look good." James complimented Elsie.

"No no, it's your daughter that looks amazing." Elsie smiled at Clove.

"Thank you." Clove said with a smirk.

"Why don't you stay and sit down with us for awhile?" Clove asked pointing at the empty chairs in their table.

"Yes of course." Elsie said while she sat down on one of the chairs. Marvel quickly followed her moves, and sat down as well.

The brown haired girl was already stepping through the door, getting ready to enter the party that was made for the student's of Lord Byron's school.

Soon a sweet song started to play from the stereo and it got Clove exited.

"Oh, I really really like this song. Let's dance Marvel. Please?" she asked looking at Marvel with pleading eyes.

He said nothing as he got up from his chair and was making his way to dance with Clove when he looked up, and saw her.

Without another word to Clove, he made his way to the girl with the sky blue dress and the brown hair, that was surrounded with boys.

The girl turned around, and smiled at Marvel, taking his hand that he was offering to her as an ask for a dance.

X

"Katniss, you look stunning as always." Marvel said to the girl, before he gently pressed his lips on hers.

"So where are your parents? I have to say, I'm really nervous to meet them." Marvel asked.

"Marvel, my parent's are not coming." Katniss gently said.

"Why, what happened?" Marvel asked disappointed.

"Like always, they let me down. You know how they always travel, and they didn't make it back home on time. Something happened in their trip, and it ruined their plans, and my plans with them being with me." Katniss said with a frown.

"Well, don't worry honey. Today the only thing we have to do is celebrate and have fun." Marvel said trying to cheer Katniss up.

On the other side of the room, Madge walked in wearing a beautiful yellow dress. Her dad was with her.

"Are you happy darling?" Madge's dad Charlie asked smiling.

"Oh yes dad, really happy."

"You know how I've always tried to be a good father to you, and like a moth.."

"Dad, please. It makes no sense to think of mom now. It's been years." Madge gently cut him off.

X

In a corner James is talking with Elsie.

"Yes, we will be having the house for you in a week." James smiled at Elsie.

"Really? That soon?" Elsie asked.

"Of course. Why else would you have the best lawyer." James teased.

"Well, I can't complain." Elsie answered.

"Congrats. Well, I have to go, I left my wife alone, and it's not right." James said, before he made his way to his wife Adela.

With that Elsie walked up to her table and sat down.

Soon Katniss and Marvel make their way to Elsie.

"I'm very sorry that I couldn't come sooner to greet you, misses Elsie." Katniss gently said, before she leaned down to give Elsie a kiss in the cheek.

"But your son kidnapped me, and didn't even let me put my things in the table." Katniss joked.

Madge sat down next to Elsie on the table her dad following behind.

"Well he was very happy to see you. I'm dying to meet your parents Katniss. Where are they?" Elsie asked.

Katniss's smile froze.

"They couldn't get back in time from their trip mother. That's why I had to cheer my love up, so that she wouldn't be sad." Marvel cut in.

With this Elsie gave Katniss a sympathetic smile.

She got up and hugged Katniss.

"It's alright, they couldn't make it. But we are here for you." Elsie said to Katniss.

"That's true. You know how much we love you." Madge said from where she was sitting. After all Katniss and Madge are best friends.

"Of course Katniss. And you should feel proud. You just graduated from the best school in town." Madge's dad said.

"Now please, everyone sit down, let's toast for all these great young kids." Charlie continued.

"Yes waiter, a bottle of champagne please!" Elsie yelled.

X

After another while, a song started to play.

"This song! Thank you." Katniss said to Marvel.

"I know how much you love this song. Let's dance."

They made their way to the dance floor, and started swaying softly.

_"I know you're scared oh I can feel it. It's in the air I know you feel that too."_

Katniss closed her eyes, and listened to the lyrics.

"_One more no, and I'll believe you. I'll walk away and I will leave you be."_

"You know that I love you. And I've always tried to show it to you, in different ways." Marvel started.

"I love you too." Katniss said before she kissed him with passion.

"I was just wondering, when are we going to take the step, when are you going to let me show you how much I really love you? We have been together now for two years, do you still doubt me?"

"Oh honey, you know that that's not why we haven't opened that door yet." Katniss replied.

"But you are the woman of my life. You know that we will get married."

"And I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together. But you know how I feel. I want our first time to be special. In the night of our wedding day."

"I just.. I don't want to wait that much." Marvel went on.

"Believe me, I wish things were different too, but I know that my parent's are going to separate us."

"What are you saying? They don't even know me? And if that's the case, I'll talk to my mom, and we can get married right away."

"You would really do that for me?" Katniss asked, a wicked smile playing across her lips."

"Of course. I love you." he said with an honest voice."

"Katniss, you drive me crazy, I-I can't be without you."

"Well then, we have to get married right away. Because my parent's want me to go study in Europe next week."

Marvel looked at Katniss with a shocked face.

X

Clove was watching Katniss and Marvel with a scowl in her face.

"Hey what's up? You look angry." Madge came to ask from Clove.

"The same as always. _I _was going to dance with Marvel, and then _Katniss_ showed up."

"Well, that's what happens when you try to mess with _my friend's _boyfriend." Madge said defensively.

"I don't even know what he sees in her!" Clove kept going.

"Well then you are blind, because Katniss is beautiful and to top it all of.."

"Oh yes yes yes, I know, _she's perfect, always get's good grades, _and I can't stand her!"

This caused Madge to laugh.

"Clove please, don't get upset on the day of our graduation. Calm down." Madge said gently.

"Oh fine, let's go dance. Let's see with _who_ since Marvel is taken."

And with that Madge and Clove walked to the dance floor, to look for someone to dance with.

X

"They want me to study there!" Katniss explained.

"But no, we have to study together, you can't move." Marvel pleaded.

"And what do you want me to do, if that is what my parents want." Katniss said, her scowl returning.

"That's why, the only solution is like you said. Getting married." Katniss said, and once again her smile was playing in her lips.

"Then that's it Katniss. We can't let that happen. We wont't let that happen."

"I don't know what I would do without you Marvel." once again, she kissed him softly.

"And I know that we are young to get married but...I don't see another solution."

"I'll talk with my mom. I can always count on her."¨Marvel said.

"Hey guys." Madge greeted Katniss and Marvel.

"Madge! I need to talk to you." And with that Katniss was pulling on her friends arm, and walking to a quiet place with her.

Once the girls were alone and out of earshot Katniss started.

"Well what do you think. Marvel is going to talk with his mom, so that we can get married!"

"What? That easily?" Madge asked shocked.

"Of course, it won't be tomorrow, but soon enough." Katniss went on.

"Well I'm really happy for you Katniss." Madge said.

"Did you tell him about your parents, and about what they were planning to do, friend?" Madge asked.

"You know Madge, you have always been there for me. Your my only and my best friend." Katniss smiled and squeezed Madges hand softy.

Madge leaned in and hugged Katniss.

X

Katniss looked for Marvel around the party, and when she found him, she quickly walked over to him.

"Honey, I have to go, Madge and her dad are getting ready to leave."

"What, don't worry, I'll take you home later." Marvel laughed.

"No!" Katniss almost yelled.

She was desperately trying to think for a good lie, a good reason to tell him no.

"It's..um..Madge asked me to stay with her for this night, and I don't want to make them wait." She hurriedly kissed his lips before she told him to say goodbye to his mother for her, and told him goodnight.

Then she walked away.

X

Marvel sat down on an empty chair, when Clove walked to him.

"What is it, why so lonely? I know, your perfect girlfriend left didn't she? Well, c'moon let's go dance. Let's go." Clove said pulling on his arm.

That's when Marvel noticed that Katniss left her jacket on the chair, and again without another word to Clove he took her jacket and ran out the door, trying to get to Katniss on time.

When he got outside he saw Katniss hugging Madge.

"Congrats to you too. Goodnight." Katniss said, and now Madge was getting on her car with her dad and they drove away.

That's when Marvel realized she lied to him, so he stayed in the back and watched her next move.

Katniss got inside a taxi and Marvel ran inside another taxi, commanding the driver to follow the other car.

X

Katniss's taxi stopped in the poor side of town, the seam, where a poorly built ugly house stood at.

When Katniss got out of the car, her frown was back, and she looked at her house with an disgusted look.

That's when Marvel got out of his car and slowly he followed her.

Katniss opened the door to her house and that's where her family surprised her with music and balloons.

"Mom, dad." she made her way to her parents and hugged them.

"Primrose." she laughed and then moved to hug her little sister.

"Congratulations Katniss." her fourteen year old little sister said.

When Katniss was moving over to hug the next person, she froze because he turned his back, not letting her hug him. Instead his dad Steven hugged her.

Katniss took one last glance at Gale, that still had his back to her.

But then she turned to hug her aunt Effie.

"Without you Effie, I would have never been able to study in that school. Thank you." Katniss said, while hugging her.

At the same time Marvel was walking around outside the house, looking at the seam in disbelief, wondering why Katniss stopped here.

"Come Gale, let's open this bottle of champagne." Katniss's dad asked.

Without a word Gale walked to where Katniss and her dad were, and opened the bottle, serving some for Katniss.

"Congratulations." he said as he handed her the glass.

"Thank you. I told you that I would make it." she smiled.

"I want to say a couple of word about Katniss." her dad said.

"First of all I just want to say how proud we are of you. Every day, we are amazed at how smart and amazing person you are. You are a very good daughter. And I know that you will get out of this poorness that surrounds us. Thank you Katniss, for making us proud."

"Thank you dad."

"And now everyone, let's toast." her mom yelled.

And so Katniss eyed Gale every once and awhile behind her glass, of cheap champagne, but he always looked away with offended eyes.

But that is when Marvel finally walked over to her apartment, and from the weak walls he heard them talking, and watched them through the window.

"We couldn't be more proud of our daughter." her mom said.

With anger and disbelief he walked away.

X

Katniss sat down next to her mother.

"You know that I wasn't that happy with you going to study in that school, so far from our possibility's." her mother said.

"But now you see that everything turned out well mom." Katniss answered.

"Yes, and I want you to know how proud I am. But in that school of rich people, you have seen a world so different from ours."

"Yes I have. Very different." Katniss mumbled almost to herself.

"But you getting out of this poorness, like your father said, promise me that you will never forget what me and your father have shown you, and that you will always have with you all the people that love you, that reall.."

Katniss wasn't listening. She wasn't even looking at her mother anymore.

"Mom, Prim wants to tell you something." she said, walking to Prim.

"Prim tell mom what you wanted to tell her." Katniss said, pulling her sister closer.

"Oh yes, well since I'm going to turn fifteen soon, I would be soo happy if I could have a partyyy." Prim sang and she was spinning around the room happily.

"Party? You know that there is no money." Their dad interrupted.

"Especially now that we have to pay for your sisters university." he continued.

"Oh, but the public university doesn't cost almost anything." Prim pleaded.

"It can still get expensive with everything that we need to do honey." his father answered.

"It's always the money! We always need the money!" Katniss snapped.

She walked across the room before she went on.

"Why can't I study where I want to?"

"Honey.."

"Yes dad. It angers me that I can't study in the university that I want to, and were all of my friends are going to be at."

This is where Gale jumped in.

"Katniss, I mean, the most important thing is to study, no?"

"What I want is to have a career, and of course get married." she said dreamily.

"But not now. Your still really young for that." Prim said.

"Well that depends, if I marry the right guy." she looked at Gale when she said this.

"Katniss, you didn't tell me if people liked the blue dress that I made you." Effie said changing the subject.

"Well of course aunt Effie. As always, you made me look as good as the other rich girls."

"As beautiful as you Effie." Haymitch said.

They all knew that Haymitch was in love with Effie.

Soon Effie and Haymitch started dancing, and Gale's dad told Gale to ask Katniss for a dance.

"If she is fine with it then yes. Shall we dance?" Gale asked.

Katniss said nothing as she took his hand and started swaying with him.

X

A teacher at Lord Byron's school spotted Peeta Mellark also a teacher in the school hallways.

"Hello Peeta. Don't miss the meeting today, everyone want's you to be there." the teacher said as he handed him a document.

"We will meet there. Oh, and I found the information you wanted over that student you wanted." Peeta said smiling.

"Good. Thank you." the other man said, before he shake'd Peeta's hand and left.

Now Peeta was making his way to the elevator when a student caught his eye.

It was Katniss Everdeen and she had just walked in to sign some papers.

He eyed her for a while, and when she turned around, she was smiling at him.

"Hello Katniss." Peeta firmly said.

"How are you professor, or now that you are no longer my teacher, should I call you Mr. Mellark?" Katniss asked smiling.

"No, I like you calling me professor." Peeta said, taking a step toward her.

"I'm glad that I ran into you." Peeta said.

"Oh why?"

"Well you are the best student in this school."

"Thank you." she said grinning.

"If I remember right, you once told me that you are going to study law."

Katniss nodded her head.

"Do you still plan on doing so?"

"Yes of course." she said excitedly.

"And were?" he asked.

"I still don't know." Katniss said.

"With your talents you deserve to be in the best university. But It's also the most expensive one."

Katniss smiled.

"And I don't think, that you can pay for that." Peeta said.

This caused Katniss's smile to freeze, and it turned into a frown.

"Yes Katniss, I checked your information, I know that you studied here with a scholarship. I know where you live, I know what your parents do for a living."

"Don't think about that too much, what are you trying to tell me?" she asked.

Once again, Peeta stepped closer.

"That it would be a shame that a young smart girl like you, couldn't study in the best place, because of lack of money."

"I agree." Katniss said, and now she was smiling again.

"In that case, contact me. I offer you to pay for everything, so that you can study, where you belong." Peeta said with a firm voice. He took something out of his pocket and handed it to Katniss. It was a business card. His card.

Katniss opened her mouth to respond, but she noticed Marvel behind Peeta, and Clove. Clove was kissing Marvel in the cheek, and Marvel was watching Katniss.

She gave her attention to Peeta again.

"Thank you professor." Katniss locked eyes with Peeta, and she gave him a seductive smile.

Then she passed Peeta, and was walking away through the door, when she turned around.

"I'll think about it." she said to Peeta, smiled, and walked away.

X

Katniss was walking after Marvel.

"Hi honey, how did last night go? Did you talk with your mom?" she asked and then she kissed him on the lips.

"What's wrong Marvel, you look weird. Does your mom not like the idea of us getting married?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"I heard you talking with the professor. Katniss, is it true that you studied here with a scholarship?"

"Yes. It is. And to me it's something i'm proud of. Actually, I wish I could yell it, so that everyone would know. But what's the point if so many girls already feel envy toward's me, like Clove."

"Stop lying Katniss. I know your secret."

"Secret? What secret?" she lied.

"That your parent's are not in Europe. But in the disgusting apartment of the apartment house in the seam. Or are you going to deny that you live in the seam?"

"Yes. Yes yes yes, it's true. I live in the seam. And what? Would you have gone out with me if you would have known that?" she asked, her anger getting higher.

"Katniss, why didn't you tell me?"

"Would you have understood me?"

When Marvel didn't say anything, but he just looked away, she kept talking.

"No. Probably not. And we would't be together, and we wouldn't have spent these _two years_ together. But I know what I'm worth, without were I live mattering. So if it bothers you that much, forget about me."

Peeta walked outside, and now he was watching the two.

"Goodbye Marvel."

She turned around to walk away, and took a few steps, but suddenly she stopped. Katniss turned around to face Marvel.

"Listen. To be, or not to be. And I am."

She then lifted her head up with pride, and walked away, holding back the tears.

Katniss didn't notice Peeta that was still standing there watching.


End file.
